News 8 learned on Thursday that President George H.W. Bush is in a Houston hospital being treated for bronchitis and persistent cough.

According to a Dr. Joel Botler at Maine Medical Center said that type of cough can be a symptom of a more serious problem, and understands why the 41st president's doctors are taking his condition seriously.

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Botler, who is a geriatric specialist, said a chronic cough can be the result of multiple problems like asthma, acid reflux a viral infection or something more serious.

"A very unique thing about older patients is they present differently. That is their symptoms aren't always the same as a younger person would have, so it would not be uncommon for someone to have a cough who is an older patient and have heart failure, congestive heart failure as a reason for that," said Botler.

He said the decision to hospitalize older patients like Bush, who is 88, is always complicated and can simply be a precautionary measure.

Botler said the best thing people of any age should do if they develop a persistent cough is to get it checked out by a doctor.